Alabama is seeing a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in school-age children, an increase officials say is likely fueled by the highly contagious delta variant that is causing some schools to temporarily switch to remote learning.
The Alabama Department of Public Health said Thursday that 5,571 children ages 5 to 17 were reported to have contracted COVID-19 last week. That compares to 702 cases in school-aged children during the same week last year, when more than half of students were studying remotely and the delta variant was not circulating.
State Health Officer Scott Harris pointed to the more contagious delta variant as “the most likely explanation.”
“The numbers are staggering,” Harris said of the increase. “We want to remind people that everyone needs to be vaccinated who is eligible, that is everyone 12 and up. We strongly recommend universal masking in schools.”
The new cases spurred quarantines at several schools after outbreaks were discovered. Less than two weeks into the school year, students and staff at Brewbaker Middle and Dunbar-Ramer, about 25 miles south of Montgomery, Alabama, were sent home to quarantine because of a rise in positive COVID-19 cases.
Both schools will close Friday and not reopen until Monday, Sept. 13.
During that time, “the building will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized,” and “teachers will provide students with assignment instructions and other important information related to schoolwork,” a release from the district Thursday afternoon stated.
Also in the news:
► A professor is suing the University of California, Irvine, over its vaccine mandate, arguing that he has “natural immunity” from having contracted the virus and does not need inoculation.
►A study from Israel found the risks associated with heart inflammation are far greater for those contract who COVID-19 than for those who get vaccinated.
►Maryland’s State Board of Education voted to mandate face masks in all public schools across the state as the delta variant raises concerns about children returning to the classroom in person.
►Illinois announced it would require proof of vaccination or regular COVID-19 testing for all staff and K-12 students, along with reinstating an indoor mask mandate across the state.
📈 Today’s numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 38.3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 633,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 214 million cases and 4.4 million deaths. More than 172 million Americans – 51.9% of the population – have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
📘 What we’re reading: Labor Day is approaching. Here’s what you should know if you’re planning a getaway amid COVID-19 and the delta surge. Read more here.
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COVID-19 forces Idaho hospitals past capacity, toward crisis
Hospital facilities and public health agencies are scrambling to add capacity as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in Idaho. But many residents don’t seem to feel the same urgency.
Volunteers are helping with contract tracing at the Central District Health Department, and health education classrooms are being converted into COVID-19 treatment units in northern Idaho. On Thursday, some Idaho hospitals only narrowly avoided asking the state to enact “crisis standards of care” — where scarce health care resources are allotted to the patients most likely to benefit — thanks in part to statewide coordination.
Meanwhile, unmasked spectators sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the showing arena at the Western Idaho Fair this week as kids maneuvered livestock around the ring. At West Ada School District, Idaho’s largest school district, 21% of students had officially “opted out” of the district’s mask requirement before the first day of school ended on Thursday.
Supreme Court blocks COVID-19 eviction moratorium
The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked President Joe Biden’s eviction moratorium, allowing property owners to begin the process of evicting millions of Americans who are behind on rent because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over a dissent from the court’s three liberal justices, the court ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not have authority to impose the freeze.
“It would be one thing if Congress had specifically authorized the action that the CDC has taken,” the court’s majority wrote in an unsigned opinion. “But that has not happened. Instead, the CDC has imposed a nationwide moratorium on evictions in reliance on a decades-old statute that authorizes it to implement measures like fumigation and pest extermination. It strains credulity to believe that this statute grants the CDC the sweeping authority that it asserts.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration was “disappointed that the Supreme Court has blocked the most recent CDC eviction moratorium while confirmed cases of the delta variant are significant across the country.” As a result, she said, “families will face the painful impact of evictions, and communities across the country will face greater risk of exposure to COVID-19.”
— John Fritze
Lawsuit over Florida school mask mandates now before judge
The attorney for parents suing to overturn Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order banning strong student mask mandates told a judge Thursday that it violates the authority of school districts to decide health issues on their campuses — something the governor’s lawyer strongly disputed.
Craig Whisenhunt told Circuit Judge John C. Cooper that DeSantis is endangering children by not letting districts follow guidelines issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends that children be masked at school.
He pointed to Florida’s skyrocketing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations since the delta variant took hold in June, including among children. Several Florida children’s hospitals have recently reported that they have more COVID patients than any time previously.
— Associated Press
